Of course the question everyone is asking is, "What was your favorite part?" Well, there wasn't one thing that I can call out as my favorite, but the community there is spectacular. Opening up about ideas and having conversations with people you barely know about highly controversial topics from a Christian worldview was amazing. I don't typically process things by talking about them, and I was pushed out of my comfort zone during small group times, free time, meals, and just sitting in my dorm room to explain what I believe and why I believe it and be able to support my beliefs. One reason it was so great was because it was never arguments, but cordial conversations between fellow believers who may or may not disagree, but are just discussing the ideas being presented to us throughout the 60 hours (yes, 60 hours) of lectures.
On topic, lectures were extremely thought provoking and intriguing. There were some ideas I had already heard, some that I wasn't as familiar with, but still had heard before, and some entirely new concepts. We had a bunch of incredible speakers who engaged our brains for hours everyday and then open forums at night. There was so much information coming at me all at once that after a while, I just had to start writing down everything I could and read over my notes during free times, because it was all going over my head during lecture. For the first time, I came home from one of these types of conferences with questions and ideas I have to research and read about because I don't understand it all. I will never understand it all, but I can do my best to learn what I can about these topics in order to know what I believe, the implications of what I believe, and be able to encourage and empower others with the same ideas.
Even though there were tons of fun activities such as volleyball, white water rafting, ultimate frisbee, adventure ball, skits, performance night, and others, those were not the highlight of my week. The best part of Summit, for me personally, were the seven amazing, beautiful, godly girls I got to spend two weeks enjoying. Our "fearless leader" kept the crazy kingdom under control, making us feel loved and wanted, and helping us process all the huge ideas being thrown our way. The other minions in our kingdom were all there to support each other, smile, laugh, tease, create declarations of loyalty to our fearless leader, go for walks, or just sit and talk for a while. I could not be more thankful for the group I was placed into and miss all of them dearly.
Now home, with lots of books, new ideas, and new friends, I am ready to embark on a new school year with challenges in and of themselves.
"The LORD your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
he will quiet you by his love,
he will exult over you with loud singing."
~Zephaniah 3:17
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